Bill Text: TX HB3596 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Engrossed


Bill Title: Relating to public school safety and security policies, procedures, and practices.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-05-13 - Referred to Education [HB3596 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB3596-Engrossed.html
  84R25701 GCB-F
 
  By: Huberty, Nevárez H.B. No. 3596
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to public school safety and security policies, procedures,
  and practices.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 37.108, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  Each school district or public junior college district
  shall adopt and implement a multihazard emergency operations plan
  for use in the district's facilities.  The plan must address
  mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery as defined by the
  commissioner of education or commissioner of higher education in
  conjunction with the governor's office of homeland security.  The
  plan must provide for:
               (1)  district employee training in responding to an
  emergency;
               (2)  if the plan applies to a school district:
                     (A)  [,] mandatory school drills and exercises to
  prepare district students and employees for responding to an
  emergency;
                     (B)  establishment of memoranda of understanding
  and mutual aid agreements with local law enforcement and other
  entities with jurisdiction over emergency services provided to
  persons residing within the attendance boundaries of the district;
  and
                     (C)  the implementation of routine campus safety
  and security assessments under Subsection (b-1);
               (3)  measures to ensure coordination with the
  Department of State Health Services and local emergency management
  agencies, law enforcement, health departments, and fire
  departments in the event of an emergency; and
               (4)  the implementation of a safety and security audit
  as required by Subsection (b).
         (b-1)  In addition to conducting safety and security audits
  under Subsection (b), each school district shall conduct routine
  campus safety and security assessments throughout the school year
  at intervals set by the Texas School Safety Center.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 37.1081(a) and (b), Education Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The Texas School Safety Center[, in consultation with
  the School Safety Task Force established under Section 37.1082,]
  shall implement [develop] a school safety certification program.
         (b)  The Texas School Safety Center shall award a school
  safety certificate to a school district that:
               (1)  has adopted and implemented a multihazard
  emergency operations plan as required under Section 37.108 and that
  includes in that plan:
                     (A)  measures for security of facilities and
  grounds;
                     (B)  measures for communication with parents and
  the media in the event of an emergency; and
                     (C)  an outline of safety training for school
  employees;
               (2)  demonstrates to the center through documentation
  [with current written self-audit processes] that the district
  conducts at least one drill per year for each of the following types
  of drills:
                     (A)  a school lockdown drill;
                     (B)  an evacuation drill;
                     (C)  a weather-related emergency drill;
                     (D)  a reverse evacuation drill; and
                     (E)  a shelter-in-place drill;
               (3)  addresses circumstances that may be unique to the
  region in which the district is located and that affect:
                     (A)  facilities and security; or 
                     (B)  the safety of students [is in compliance with
  Sections 37.108(b) and (c)]; and
               (4)  meets any other eligibility criteria [as]
  recommended by the former School Safety Task Force.
         SECTION 3.  Section 37.202, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 37.202.  PURPOSE. The purpose of the center is to serve
  as:
               (1)  a central location for school safety and security
  information, including research, training, and technical
  assistance related to successful school safety and security
  programs;
               (2)  a central registry of persons providing school
  safety and security consulting services in the state; [and]
               (3)  a resource for the prevention of youth violence
  and the promotion of safety in the state; and
               (4)  a central location for the collection of
  information concerning research and best practices for threat
  awareness, campus safety and security assessments, and
  cross-jurisdictional sharing of information.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 37.203(a) and (b), Education Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The center is advised by a board of directors composed
  of:
               (1)  the attorney general, or the attorney general's
  designee;
               (2)  the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee;
               (3)  the executive director of the Texas Juvenile
  Justice Department [Probation Commission], or the executive
  director's designee;
               (4)  [the executive commissioner of the Texas Youth
  Commission, or the executive commissioner's designee;
               [(5)]  the commissioner of the Department of State
  Health Services, or the commissioner's designee;
               (5) [(6)]  the commissioner of higher education, or the
  commissioner's designee; and
               (6) [(7)]  the following members appointed by the
  governor with the advice and consent of the senate:
                     (A)  a juvenile court judge;
                     (B)  a member of a school district's board of
  trustees;
                     (C)  an administrator of a public primary school;
                     (D)  an administrator of a public secondary
  school;
                     (E)  a member of the state parent-teacher
  association;
                     (F)  a teacher from a public primary or secondary
  school;
                     (G)  a public school superintendent who is a
  member of the Texas Association of School Administrators;
                     (H)  a school district police officer or a peace
  officer whose primary duty consists of working in a public school;
  [and]
                     (I)  an individual who has experience and
  expertise in information technology security;
                     (J)  a school district employee whose primary duty
  consists of managing transportation logistics for a public school
  district;
                     (K)  an architect with experience in school
  facility design; and
                     (L)  two members of the public who are a parent or
  guardian of a public school student.
         (b)  Members of the board appointed under Subsection (a)(6) 
  [(a)(7)] serve staggered two-year terms, with the terms of the
  members described by Subsections (a)(6)(A)-(F) [(a)(7)(A)-(E)]
  expiring on February 1 of each odd-numbered year and the terms of
  the members described by Subsections (a)(6)(G)-(L) [(a)(7)(F)-(I)]
  expiring on February 1 of each even-numbered year.  A member may
  serve more than one term.
         SECTION 5.  Section 37.205, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 37.205.  SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS. The center shall
  conduct for school districts a safety training program that
  includes:
               (1)  development of a positive school environment and
  proactive safety measures designed to address local concerns;
               (2)  school safety courses for law enforcement
  officials, with a focus on school district police officers and
  school resource officers;
               (3)  discussion of school safety issues with parents
  and community members; [and]
               (4)  assistance in developing a multihazard emergency
  operations plan for adoption under Section 37.108; and
               (5)  training in best practices for threat awareness,
  implementation of campus safety and security assessments, and
  cross-jurisdictional sharing of information.
         SECTION 6.  Section 421.901, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 421.901.  INTEROPERABILITY OF CRITICAL INFORMATION
  SYSTEMS. The office of the governor shall develop a plan for
  appropriate entities to use information systems that:
               (1)  employ underlying computer equipment and software
  required to establish interoperable communication between computer
  systems used by local, state, and federal agencies and first
  responders; [and]
               (2)  provide a single point of entry to disseminate
  information, applications, processes, and communications;
               (3)  provide threat awareness information that may
  affect campus security and student safety in the Texas-Mexico
  border region and is obtained through cross-jurisdictional sharing
  of information; and
               (4)  include school security information that may be
  obtained through school district incident reporting, school safety
  audits, and campus safety and security assessments.
         SECTION 7.  Sections 37.1081(c) and 37.1082, Education Code,
  are repealed.
         SECTION 8.  (a)  Not later than February 1, 2016, the
  governor shall appoint new members to the board of directors of the
  Texas School Safety Center as required by Sections
  37.203(a)(6)(I)-(K), Education Code, as added by this Act.
         (b)  Section 37.203, Education Code, as amended by this Act,
  does not affect the term of the member appointed under Section
  37.203(a)(6)(F), Education Code, as amended by this Act, and
  serving on the board immediately before the effective date of this
  Act. After the term of that member expires on February 1, 2016, the
  governor shall appoint a member who meets the requirements under
  Section 37.203(a)(6)(F), Education Code, as amended by this Act, to
  a term expiring February 1, 2017.
         (c)  Section 37.203, Education Code, as amended by this Act,
  does not affect the terms of the members appointed under Section
  37.203(a)(6)(L), Education Code, as amended by this Act, and
  serving on the board immediately before the effective date of this
  Act.  After the terms of those members expire, the governor shall
  appoint members who meet the requirements under Section
  37.203(a)(6)(L), Education Code, as amended by this Act.
         SECTION 9.  This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
  school year.
         SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect immediately if it
  receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
  house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  
  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
  effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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